Jayne H. Baum

Susanna Cole and Erin Donnelly

Elena Filipovic

Ingrid LaFleur

Trong G. Nguyen

Olu Oguibe

Chika Okeke

Sandhini Poddar

Praxis

Ashkan Sahihi

Marketa Uhlirova

Elin Hansdottir
Ashkan Sahihi

We all have periods during which one word, phrase or term seems to ring especially true, when thoughts that have seemed elusive or stagnant seem to fall into place, once gauged by this new tool in our vocabulary. The thoughts click, they make the picture bigger, maybe even deeper.

My current favorite and maybe even long term helper is ‘life force energy’. When I struggle with feelings and/or thoughts regarding anything, objects or emotional entities, it helps me to ask myself: Does it have life force energy?

Now, the source of the term is yogic and that is all I feel like sharing, because everybody I have talked to seems to intuitively relate to this three word philosophical strainer.

My friend Trong wrote me regarding ‘The One’ show, what he had in mind and why he was doing it. As I was reading his writing I very much felt, that he was in explaining how very often in contemporary art there was a lack of ‘ life force energy’.

I checked back with him, used the term in my response. Was that what he was talking about? Did I ‘get’ him right? Is art that has ‘life force energy’ (rather than gimmicky cleverness) what he wanted to see in his ‘One’ show?

Ms. Elin Hansdottir is the artist I chose.

Thank you.
Ashkan 10/11/05

About the curator